Work under way to remove a Euclid Creek dam dating back to 1933

Maribeth Joeright@News-Herald.com
The Northeast Ohio Sewer District along with other state and federal agencies is removing an old dam on Euclid Creek, restoring the creek bed and taking measures to prevent soil erosion.

Euclid Creek's water flow soon will pick up some speed as one of several dams located on the stream is being dismantled.

The $526,585 project calls for removing a 6-foot-tall, 40-foot-long concrete dam that was built in 1933. It is located within Cleveland Metroparks' Euclid Creek Reservation in Euclid.

Dam removal began Oct. 18, with completion slated for May.

While the Euclid Reservation dam's removal is a start, there are at least five other such structures along the creek that could use a sledgehammer and a wrecking ball Euclid Creek Watershed coordinator Claire Posius said.

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"The dam's removal will help restore the natural flow of the waterway as well as enhance water quality," Posius said.

"Ohio's water quality standards are such that this dam removal will help meet this criteria."

By removing the dam, fish will have greater upstream access.

This will aid in their spawning, which is why the various natural resources agencies are involved in the project, Posius said.

"The project was literally pieced together over four or five years, but it's interesting to see how complex these kinds of small dam removal projects can be," she said.

Participants in the project include various governmental entities and a number of nonprofit groups, including Friends of Euclid Creek and the Euclid Creek Watershed Council, Posius said.

The governmental agencies involved include the Ohio

Division of Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Cleveland Metroparks, the Ohio